We developed a four-year strategy to help ensure people of all abilities and ages in the community can grow and thrive throughout all life stages.

The strategy updated the existing plan, ‘Melton: A City for all People 2017 – 2021’ and considered what residents need to lead healthy, happy and safe lives in the City of Melton.

People with disability, children, young people, older people and carers in the City of Melton were engaged to share their experiences with Council to help develop the new strategy that will meet peoples’ ever-changing and diverse needs.

The development of the strategy included gathering reflections from the previous iteration of this Strategy titled ‘Melton a City for all people’, analysing over 40 relevant policy documents, delivering community consultation, and then bringing together this information to determine areas of focus.

The consultation successfully reached 780 community members, of these:

• 514 responded to the survey.
• 150 participated in workshops.
• 116 participated in community forums.

Three key themes emerged from the consultation:

• Feeling accepted and included (a sense of belonging): The need to belong and feel safe in a place that felt like home was fundamental to how many people’s vision of a happy and healthy future and what it meant to live their best lives. Participants reported that living in a community that supported them with their specific needs was essential to feeling accepted and included.
• Infrastructure and access: The importance of living in a community with local and accessible infrastructure and services was the most notable theme to emerge from participants.
• Spaces, places, and involvement: Community feedback indicated that social connection and group participation through the municipality’s spaces, places and programs was essential to their future. By offering a variety of programs and facilities to support social connectedness, Council could help foster a sense of community and unity critical to health and wellbeing.

These key themes informed the development of the Growing and Thriving Strategy, which will direct Council action over the next four years.

More information

More information about the Strategy can be found on Councils web page: Growing and Thriving: A Strategy for All Abilities and All Ages